Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-04-19
ARBoR DAY IL MAINE

AhpNb bti Nv hsiNh
BOT tshold = f.Ar nj sign.
To which The - hlie man's eyes are lllnis
/ hsio ths'-s nsid. werv shorn mi illei'
fuii % ths bfim our riyeTs nJssd.
/ Tie msiciy ~ -ai-rs nlsi
The frvsn and boundle.- WOOL
And tDrrents dashcSi and fivuists played.
Ard iOuntsins sporis' In the shsd".
ihsse grateful soands ara hcsid no more,
The 'pring' .rs sil-ut IN me sun'
| The riyers. by The blsckenesi shor~,
Win lss-.ning currents ran.
The rvaim our tiib.s are crushed 70 Set
Nay b- hAfr,n desert Yet. -lhflAnt
The legislature. In IT, wisdom, esisb-
hshed Aroor Day a. = legal holiday In
VI lne. aud Governor Bodw,ll has named
Tuesday. the tsnth day of NV. {. the
zine Tor IT, observance. .''' IL may
rgalie something of faith 10 write an AZ
ucic advocating the planting of trees,
shsn Snow and io. cover the earth 10 .
depth % four feet. but wc believe. In The
uufolilug % The seasons. that The time
fsslgustci vii llci the earth ready 10 re-
csiy, the charge committed 20 IT, care aud
ks.plug.
il1~ mach of the wesliA. besuiy. aud
f,rtliiy % TIE country dsPsnd upon the
pr,ssrvNti0u Of our forests. sEd the plant
ing % ties IlOs The rOad-ide- Ia The
-
nAfreun.s.. OF The multiplication of hfisfs,
pushes aud noriou. weeds. have within
f-s year. hloomed with beauty ny The
planting % shade or fruit ir,e-. Oar for-
,.t. srv fat dlssppssribg. 10 their shsl'
tsrirg shade. spd The rich mould OF their
suuuslly decsyiug leaves. the greater num'
n,r % our loy, lls.i plants Afe foand When
that cruel wcspon. the axe. comes, ~ not,
-
~ layiug ios The noble oak. the Elm, the
n,e,h. The msple. bat . namocr ot our
choicest plants are threstsucd With en-.
lnCtion. Abd The blooming besuuss that
sioru our woodland shades pass swsy.
Aui scientists tell Us that The ~holessle
destruction of The forests will fnslly lead
~ ih~ drying up of our riVers, and ihe de-
-ifuction ~ our vast water power. says
susan fsuimorc Cooper 'Of The innaite
variety % fruits whlch spring from TIE
nosom of The earth, the tres OF The wood
are greatest lu dignity. OF AL the works
20 thc creation Which know the changes OF
NE ani dssih. the trees 90 The forest. have
ths lou gsst existence. or al The o'l-cr
~hich crown ne gray earth. the woods
preserve unchanged. throughout TIE great
.st reach % tine. thsir native character.
The works ~ man Afr ever varYing ihclr
.spsci, hi. towns and bis nsid- alike re'
q Ct the unstable oplniob-. The nckle ~ill.
sud fsnci,s of each passiog generation;
bot The forests on hls borders remain 10
LAY The same They were ages Of years since.
O.d a. the everlasting hills, during thou.
sands % seasons they have pat iorih snd
lAld down their yeriurv in calm ooedisnec
q th- decree Shleh ffst bsde them cover
The ruins ~ The dsluge."
Afbor Day originated 10 NshfAsk',-
where tree plsnting "a. more needed than
In thl. part of The country. finsen years
navr passed since The nrsi observance OF
Tie day. and 10 IL claimed that In The state
% Sshfsska there arv nov growing seven
hundred thousand Acres OF uess, which
wefr planted. The number OF iniisit1h
tree. being rvckoued by The hundreds OF
millions what vas once Gale The "Ofvst
American Desert" has been turued Into
isrtilc cOantry by this Planting OF uces,
and The youug aud vigorous state OF Ne
nfAskAls lastly proud Of its record In this
r.gard. kaus2s ADD Minnesota soon FOL
loved The Example OF SvorAsks, aud since
they bsgAn, other SiAle-. both east srd
sect. have also taken 10 the celebration OF
"Arb0r Day" millions % irve- having
been set uut. STATE Legislatures aud Gov
vruors have recognized The day, aud laws
looking 10 The encouragement OF forestry
aud conventions for The same epd, have
1~con. Qalte common. The prizes Tor
irre planting 10 several Western State,
secured 4, faiie statistics through The on
cial return. from the dif-feui couniies.
In Michigan, the Arbor D,y lsw was passed
In lssl and Ia ohio 10 lss2 Slnoe then
ArDOr Day hss been observed In Colorado,
Wisconsin. West virginia. Indians, Yer
mont. New Jersey. New Hsmp-hire, Ms.
-achu.etts, Peunsylssuis and floriis, and
uOw Maine joins the procession.
Whichever ArDOr Dsy has been estao.
li.hed by law, It's observance, with one or
t~o sxc~ptious, has BEEN heartily eDcour-
,gei by the State Ssnool Superlnisndcnts,
and school oriclsl. in the towns and cities
have heartily oO-Opsrsied In the good work.
We have 10 dOaDt this will ~ done In
Malue. Let al our school officers and
tcscher. in colleges, ssminari,s, normal
schools, graded aud common schools. par.
cuts aud friends OF eduestiou, associations.
give 10 this good work al possible aid and
sncouragemvnt, putiing the thoughi and
WORK OF tree planting into the schools, snd
ke.ping IL steadily before our boys aud
girls. They should also be encouraged 10
collect and plant seeds. TO watch their
growth snd care Tor them, and 10 doing
ihls they will unseln.hly confer blessing
upon postetity. In those sections OF our
State. like Pennington and Eas,port, where
the Ore fieud has done its worst work in
sweeping out the shade trees. organized
aJrt for tree planting Il especially desir.
-irable, in order 10 obllterste The scars Of
the great eotf ,grstions. Let us plant
trees by The road side. In the parks aud
grounds, and humble front yards, in our
orchards, and wherever nature would seem
10 indicate ss the proper place To plant =
tree Tor refreshing shade or for practical
use. The day begun ln Maine Ia the righ,
spirit and understanding. and observed
year by year. the result In impsr,ing beau.
~ u waste places, aud In creating love
FOR The b-suiifnl. will be . blessing 10 all.
-Mlias Fdrmsr.